Air can-testing machine.



E. V. SWANGREN & M. E. WIDELL.

AIR CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 191i.

LIWAIM, PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET l.

E. V. SWANGREN & M. E. WIDELL.

AIR'GAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1911.

1.,152A49, I Pafented Sept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Fig.2

AE'dwm I'Jwazyrm fly Z M WEI/(dell E. V. SWANGREN & M. E. WIDELL.

AIR CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29. I91].

6w 1:27.55 mdea 7 flaw.

E. v. SWANGREN & M. E. WIDELL.

AIR CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29. 19H.

Lwmw, Patentedsept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

I '76 T In I in J 5T; f mum 1 U 'l E. V. SWANGREN & M. E. WIDELL.

AIR CAN TESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mm mAvza. 19:1.

1,15%,4%9, PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETS$HEET 5- @MM M M35.

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nnwm v. swnucnniv AND MAGNUS n. WIDELL, or nmvwoon, rumors, ASSIGNORS'1'0 AMERICAN can COMPANY, on NEW YonK, n. 1., A CORPORATION on NEWJERSEY.

AIR CAN-TESTING MACHINE:-

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentednept. t, 119th.

Application filed May 29, 1211. Serial No. 629,972.

in apparatus for testing cans by filling themwith air under pressure andnotingthe' diminution of the pressure due to the escape of the air inthe case of leaks; and the invention consists in the novel devices andscale,-a sectional view of a can to be tested held in the can clampingdevices, said section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 asection on the line of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a plan view of the air operatedswitch, electromagnet and trip device for ejecting the leaky cans; Fig.6 a vertical central section upon a still larger scale of the airoperated electricswitch; Fig. 7 a section of the same on the line (7 ofFig.

6; Fig. 8 a plan view of the lock cam movement for operating the canholding clamp; Fig. 9 a face View of the stationary air valve disk; Fig.10 a face view of the counterpart revolving air valve disk; Fig. 11 asection on line 11--1l of Fig. 8.

Described .in a general way the improved compressed air can testerconsists of a continuously revolving great wheel carrying a number ofthe cans to be tested, operating to receive and clamp the can; to partlyfill the interior of the can with a displacing body; to seal it airtight; to admit to the interior of each can in turn in the diminishedspace a chargeof compressed air from a tank; to cut oil? the can fromfurther sup-.

be defective and thus test its soundness; and to measure afterward, thepressure in each can by a diaphragm balance that ignores the sound cansand in case of a leaky can ac tuates a switch controlling an electricmagnet operating to set a trip that sorts the leaky can from the soundones. The object of partly filling the interior of the can with adisplacing bulk is to render the remaining diminished body of air moresensitive in the indication of leaks in the can while sealed and cut oilfrom the tank.

The compressed air,-it may be added in explanatiom-is of course elastic,and hence a leak from such a contained medium will be more manifest by achange in pressure in the containing chamber if the containing chamberbe relatively small, for the reason that the quantity leaking out from agiven sized chamber in a given time from a small chamber must bear agreater ratio to the entire contents of-such small chamber "than.

the same quantity leaking out in the same time would bear to the entirecontents of a larger chamber. For obviously the one smaller chambermight contain for example a gallon and the other larger chamber forexample ten half gallons, in which case a leak of a gallon would equalone-half the volume of the smaller chamber but would only equalone-twentieth part of the larger chamber.

In the said drawings 21 is the framework of the improved testing machineupon which, in bearings 22, is the shaft, 23, carrying the great wheel,24, the extreme periphery of which, 25, is cut with gear teeth that meshwith a pinion, 26, through which power is transmitted by the gearing 2728, from the power shaft, 29, and pulley 30. This great wheel is made torevolve in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 1 and does not stop whilethe machine is in operation.

Near the periphery of the great wheel, 24:, are mounted the can holdingand clamping mechanisms. In the instance illustrated in the drawings thegreat wheel carries thirty Each holding and clamping mechanism consistsof a base-block 31, provided with an annular cushion, 32, of a sizesuitable to receive and seal the open end of the can 33. Opposing thebase, 31, is a movable head, 34, mounted to slide on the bar, 35, whichis extended from the great wheel parallel to its axis. The sliding head,34, carries a cradle, 36, into which the can, 33, is placed or fed. Onthe base, 31, is mounted the displacement mass or bulk, 37, which inoperation enters the interior of the can, and nearly fills the same, asindicated in Fig. 3. When the holder is passing the feed chute 38,seeFig. 1,the movable head, 34, and its can cradle 36 occupies the positionindicated in dotted lines at Fig. 3; but on continued rotation of thegreat wheel the head 34 with the can in its cradle is moved toward thebase 31, telescoping the can over the displacement mass and forcing itsedge against the sealing cushion 32 thus sealing the interior of the cancontaining the displacement mass and the small amount of. air around thesame from the atmosphere. The base, 31, is pierced with the air-tube,39, connected to the pipe, 40, and to a central tube 41, which latterpasses entirely through the displacing mass and delivers the compressedair to the interior of the can in the space between said displacing massand the bottom of the can. A valve, 42, by the pressure of the airagainst it serves to keep the tube 41 closed when the air is on and nocan is present. Attached to the valve 42 is the valve stem 43,projecting through the displacing mass so that when a can is in positionand sealed in the holder this stem will strike the can bottom and holdthe valve open. So long as the can is in the holder and sealed itsinterior is thus in communication with the air pipe 40. The movement ofthe head, 34, toward and away from the base, 31, is imparted by apitman, 44, attached to a crank, 45, on the shaft 46. On the other endof this shaft,see Fig. 8,is a block, 47, having parallel faces 48, and49. The shaft also carries on short arms the two rollers 50, 51. On thestationary frame 21 and the oppositely inclined. grooves 60, 61.

Turning to Fig. 8, the operation of this mechanism which is as followswill be readily understood; the shaft, 46, carried by the great wheelmoves in the direction of the arrow on said figure, causing the block,47, to ride with its face 48 on the flange 53,

1 the roller 50 being at this time in the groove 59. As the motion ofthe shaft continues,

the roller 50 encountering the inclined groove 60 is momentarily.retarded in its forward movement causing the shaft and the block 47 toturn on the incline 56 and said block enters the cavity 57. Furthermovement causes said roller 50 to traverse the groove 60 and the roller51 to enter the groove 61. Momentai'ily the roller 50 will be in thegroove 60 and the roller 51 in the groove 61 while the block 47 nowturned on end will be in the cavity 57. Further movement swings theroller 50 up into the straight upper groove 62 and the roller 51 intothe lower groove 59, when the shaft 46, it will be seen has been turnedthrough an arc of 180 by the crank 45, pitman 44, which amount ofmovement is exactly suiticient to move the head, 34, from the positionindicated in dotted lines to the one indicated in full lines at Fig. 3.The head is held firmly and securely in this position until another lockcam device is reached at that point in the revolution of the greatwheel, at which the tested cans are to be discharged. This secondlock-cam device swings the crank and shaft through another 180 and thusputs the movable head, 34, back into the open position for the dischargeof the tested can and the receiving of another one from the feed chute.It will thus be seen that the receiving of the cans into the can testingmachine and their discharge therefrom is done automatically by themovement of the wheel itself, and that the cans are received into thewheel from a single feed chute and discharged from the wheel into asingle discharge-chute 63. Above the discharge chute 63, is thedivergent chute 64, into which the leaky cans are diverted. Thisdiversion is effected by the trap door, 65, mounted on the shaft, 66, anarm 67, of which, is connected by a rod 68 to an arm, 69, carrying thetrip arm 70. This trip arm, 70, stands in the path of certain movableprojections, on the great wheel, one for each can. One of these movableprojections is seen at 71 in Figs. 3 and 5. The projection isconveniently applied to the slide bar, 35, by piercing said slide barwith a longitudinal central hole 'so that the projection 71, consistingof a cylindric rod, may pass entirely through said bar and project atone end or the other according as it is positioned. \Vhen in theposition indicated in full lines at Fig. 3, this projection will notencounter the trip but when in the position indicated in dotted lines atsaid Fig. 3 it will strike and operate said trip causing the trap doorin the discharge chute to be closed and the can in that particularholder to be diverted from the common chute or runway and so cast amongthe leaky ones. Vhen the .projection, 71, shall have been pushed out toencounter the trip, and has done its work it is returned again to normalposition automatically by the movement of the great wheel, which causesthe projection to encounter the 'stationary cam surface 72,see Fig.2,sliding the rod or projection back into normal position.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show the mechanism by means of which this projection,71", is, upon a desired occasion, moved out to encounter the trip. This,mechanism consists of an electromagnet, 73, to the armature, 74, ofwhich, is connected a pivoted wiper, 75. When the magnet is energizedthiswiper is momentarily set out into the path of the projection andbeing encountered moves the latter into the requiredposition to operatethe trap door. The energizing of the electromagnet is by a battery orother source of electrical energy, as shown in the drawin 5. Oneterminal of the circuit is shown at 6, and the current therein iscontrolled by a switch, 77, pivoted at, 78, in the air chamber 79. Aflexible diaphragm is in this air chamber and said diaphragm isconnected by a rod, 81, to the switch bar 77. Compressed air from a tankor other source of supply not shown, is admitted to the interior of thechamber, 79, through the pipe 82, acting on the diaphragm 80 and therebytending to produce electrical connection at the end of switch bar 77 andterminal 76. Air is admitted to the other side of the diaphragm throughtwo pipes, 83, 84, as will be hereinafter described, with a tendency todepress the diaphragm and bring the switch out of contact with theactive terminal 76, the tendency of the opposing forces on oppositesides of the diaphragm being to balance same, and normally hold theswitch bar 77 out of contact with the terminal 76. A glass windowenables the operator to examine the interior of the chamber and inspectthe condition of the switch at any time.

The means employed .for conveying the compressed air from the tankto'the cans and from the cans to the switch operating diaphragm,consists of a stationary valve plate or disk, 87, shown separately atFig. 9, and mounted on the framework of the machine. Tapped in itsperiphery is the pipe 88 which leads from the compressed air tank, andcommunicates with two openings 89, 90, in the working face of saidplate. And in another place said disk is tapped with the pipes, 83, and,84, having respectively the o enings 91 and 92 in the working face.ountering or opposing this stationary disk 87 and mounted to rotate withthe great wheel, so that the faces of the two disks shall rub togetherwith an air tight 'joint, is a movable valve disk, 93, tapped at itsperiphery with the pipes, 40,-before mentioned,gconnected one to each ofthe can holders and communicating with the interior of the cans ashereinbefore described. For each of the pipes, 40, and communieating,therewith is an opening, 93*, leading out to the working face of thedisk, 93, and in position, when properly turned, momentarily to matchthe opening, 89, in the other disk leading to the tank, and to matchmomentarily in turn the opening, 91, in said other disk leading to theouter side of the switch operating diaphragm. Said movable plate 93 isalso provided with an inner, annular, channel shown in dotted lines at94, having openings 95 from said channel to the working face of thedisk, in number equaling the number of the cans to be operated upon andin position momentarily to match in turn the opening, 90, on the otherdisk that leads to the tank, and upon aaround to the discharge chute,where being released by the opening of the clamp it falls] at out androlls down among the sound cans. If the can be leaky in the slightestdegree,

however, the pressure within the can, owing to the presence of thedisplacing block or bulk and the consequent small amount of air, rapidlyfalls. But, until the great wheel has moved far enough around to bringthe opening, 93", of this particular can into registry with the opening91, in thestationary disk, leading through pipe 83 to the outer side ofthe diaphragm, no effect upon the diaphragm is produced by this fall inpressure due to. the leak. As soon as this matching takes place,however, the pressure on the diaphragm becomes immediately un-'balanced, the tank pressure on its one side exceeding the can pressureon its other side, and consequently the switch is at once lifted by thediaphragm into contact with the terminal 76, thereby closing the circuitand energizing the electromagnet, and the said magnet instantly thruststhe wiper 75 into the path of the projection 71 belonging to that can toset said projection into position to operate the leaky can trap. Andsaid leakycan, after it rolls into the discharge chute, is diverted bysaid trap from the path taken by the sound ones. It will be necessary,as will be readily understood, to now quickly reset or bring thediaphragm apparatus again into a condition of balance in order todenergize the magnet and thus withdraw the wiper 75 before it shallwrongfully set the trap for a succeeding and possibly. good can. Thisrebalance is efi'ected by the pipe, 84, whose aperture, 92, on the faceof the stationary, disk, 87, comes, in due counter plate, which channelis-in communication, by virtue of the hole, 95, in its plate, the hole,-90, in the staionary plate,

' and the pipe 88, with the compressed air tank, so that immediately thepressure of the tank is thus again brought to bear upon both sides ofthe diaphragm and the switch 77 restored to an open condition ready forthe next leaky can to throw the balance out and again move the switch.

As clearly shown in Fig. 6, the volume of that part of the chamber abovethe diaphragm 80 and which is in-communication successively with theinteriors of the cans, is a great deal less than that portion of thechamber below said diaphragm. This serves to still further increase thesensitiveness of the apparatus, since it will be apparent that a smallamount of leakage from a can will constitute a relatively largeproportion of the volume of air on the upper side of the diaphragm 80,thereby causing a quicker and greater unbalancing of the pressures onthe diaphragm when a leaky can is put in communication with thediaphragm chamber.

We claim 1. The combination in an air passage can tester with means forsealing the can and for admitting compressed air thereto, of adisplacement body to be inserted in the sealed can for diminishing thevolume of com- I pressed air in the can and means for indicati'ng anylessening of the air pressure in the sealed can, such indicatingmeansincluding a chamber containing a flexible diaphragm having an aircommunication at one side to the compressed air supply and at the otherside to the-interior of the can being tested and an electric circuithaving included therein a switch and an electromagnet, the switch beingoperated by movements of the diaphragm, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in an air passage can tester with means for sealingthe can and for admitting compressed air thereto, of a displacement bodyto be inserted in the sealed can for diminishing the volume ofcompressed air in the-can and means for indicating any lessening of theair pressure in the sealed can, such'indicating means including achamber containing a flexible diaphragm having an air communication atone side to the compressed air supply and at the other side to theinterior of the can being tested, an electric circuit having includedtherein a switch anid an electromagnet, the switch being operated by themovements of the diaphragm, and a device moved by the magnet todetermine the path of the can when discharged, substantially asspecified.

3. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders, each having acradle shaped and arranged to engage and support the convex side of thecan, the cradles being bodily movable with the carrier and movablerelative to the carrier, a base to receive and seal the open mouth ofthe can, means carried by said base for diminishing the volume of theinterior of the can, a movable head for pushing the can against thebase, an air duct to supply the sealed can with compressed air and meansfor connecting said air duct automatically and momentarily with thesupply source or tank, substantially as specified.

4. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders each having a cradlefor supporting the can,

a base to receive and seal the open mouth of the can, and a displacementbody on each base to enter the can and diminish the volume of compressedair, substantially as specified.

5. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders each having a cradlefor supporting the can, a base to receive and seal the open mouth of thecan, a. movable head for pushing the can against the base, an air ductto supply the sealed can with compressed air and means for connectingsaid air duct automatically and momentarily with the supply source ortank and subsequently with a chamber containing a diaphragm opposed bycompressed air from the supply source, substantially as specified.

6. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders each having a cradlefor supporting the can,

a base to receive and seal the open mouth of the can, a displacementbody on said base to enter the cam and diminish the volume of compressedair, an air duct to supply the sealed can with compressed air and meansfor connecting said air duct automatically and momentarily with a supplysource or tank and subsequently with a chamber containing a diaphragmopposed bv compressed air from the supply source, substantially asspecified.

7 The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great-wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders each having a cradlefor supporting the can, a base to receive and seal the open mouth of thecan, a movable head-for pushing the can against the base, an air duct tosupply the sealed can with compressed air and means for connecting saidairduct automatically and momentarily with the supply source or tank,and subsequently with a chamber containing a diaphragm opposed bycompressed air from the supply source, an electric switch operated bythe movement of said diaphragm and controlling an electromaginmates netto move a device for the purpose of diverting a leaky can from the pathof sound ones, substantially as specified.

8. In a can tester, in combination: a carrier, a can holder thereonincluding a base and a movable cooperating clamping memher, a chute forfeeding canbodies to the holder on the carrier, a duct for supplyingcompressed air to a clamped can, connections from said duct to a sourceof supply of compressed air, a stationarychamber having a diaphragmtherein and electrical devices for operating a trip adapted to separatethe leaky from the soundcans carried by the carrier, said devicesincluding a switch opened and closed by the movements of the diaphragm.

9. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier provided with a multiplicity of can holders each having a'cradlefor supporting the can, a base to receive and seal the open mouth of thecan, a movable head for pushing the canagainst the base, an air duct tosupply the sealed can with compressed air, means forconnecting sald airduct automatically and momentarily with the supply source or tank,

said means consisting of a rotary pierced plate connected to the base ofthe holder, and a stationary pierced plate rubbing therewith mounted onthe frame of the machine and connected with the compressed air tank, andmeans including an electrically controlled trip for automaticallyseparating leaky cans from sound cans, substantially as specified.

10. The can tester comprising in combina-' or tank, said meansconsisting of a rotary pierced plate connected to the base of theholder, and a stationary pierced plate rubbing therewith mounted on theframe of the machine and connected with the compressed air tank, achamber containing a diaphragm and means for temporarily thereafterconnecting the interior of the can with one side of a diaphragm chamberthe other side of which is in communication with the air supplyconsisting of the same two pierced rubbing plates, substantially asspecified.

11. The can tester comprising in combination a rotating great wheel orcarrier pro vided with a multiplicity of can holders each having acradle for supporting the can;

a base to receive and seal the open *inoiith of the can, a movable headfor pushing. the

Hill

can against the base, an air duct to supply the sealed can withcompressed air and means for connecting said air duct auto-- maticallyand momentarily with the supply source or tank, said means consisting ofa rotary'pierced plate connected to the base of the h0lder,'and astationary pierced plate rubbing therewith mounted on the frame of themachine and connected with the comt pressed a1r tank, a chambercontamlng a diaphragm and means for temporarily thereafter connectingthe interior of the can with one side of a diaphragm chamber the otherside of which is in communication with the air supply consisting of thesame two pierced rubbing plates, which also have means serving tosubsequently connect both ing on its shaft a two faced block and tworoller studs carried on the moving carrler,

and a lock cam on the stationary frame of the machine and comprising abench for the block to ride onwith' one of its surfaces, a cavity forthe block to turn'in, a bench for the block to ride on with its othersurface, and inverting grooves for inverting the block and thus turningthe shaft through a half revolution, substantially as specified.

13; The combination of a moving can carrier provided with a multiplicityof can holders each having a cradle for supporting the can, a base toreceive and seal the open mouth of the can, a movable head for pushingthe can against the .base, a displacement body to partly fill the can,an air supply for charging the can with compressed air and means forpushing the can in its cradle over withdrawv it therefrom and to beactuated from the can carrier in a brief movement of the lattenand whichmechanical movement consists in the combination of the followingmovingparts, a crank and pitman, a two 'face d sliding block onthe'crank shaft, two studsonthe crank shaft with the followingstationary parts, a cam bench for one face of the block to slide upon, acam bench for the other face of the block to slide upon after it hasturned over, a cavity between the benches for the block to turn in, andtwo opposing cams engaging first one and then the other stud to turn theblock and the attached crank shaft and operate the crank and pitman,substantially as specified.

15. The can tester comprising in combination, a carrier provided with amultiplicity. of can holders each having a cradle for supporting thecan, a base to receive and seal the open mouth of the can, a movablehead for pushing the can against the base, an air duct to supply thesealed can with compressed air and means for connecting said air ductautomatically and momentarily with the supply source tank andsubsequently with a balancing device wherein the air from the can andthe air from the supply source are balanced against each other,substantially as specified.

16. The can tester comprising in combination, a carrier provided with amultiplicity of can holders each having a cradle for supporting the can,a. base to receive and seal the open mouth of the can, a movable headfor pushing the can against the base, an air duct to supply the sealedcan with compressed air and means for connecting said air ductautomatically and momentarily with the supply source. tank andsubsequently with a balancing device wherein the air from the can andthe air from the supply source are balanced against each other, and adevice for diverting the leaky can from the path of the sound ones,controlled and operated by said balancing device, substantially .asspecified.

17 A can tester of the character-described including, in combination: acarrier having a plurality of can holding and clamping means thereon;means for automatically releasing all of the tested cans at apredetermined point; an electric circuit having a switch for opening andclosing the same; an air pressure device for operating the said switch;a source of compressed air; and a valve for placing the interior of cansclamped on said carrier, successively, first in communication with thesource of compressed air and subsequently'with the said air pressuredevice; the said electric circuit having an electromagnet and meansoperated thereby to cause the leaky cans to be diverted after they arereleased.

18. A can tester of the character described including, in combination: acarrier having a plurality of can holding and clamping means thereon; anelectric circuit having a switch for opening and closing the same;

an air pressure device for operating the said electric switch; a sourceof compressed air; and air conductlng means and a valve for placing theinterior of cans clamped on said carrier, successively, first incommunication with the source of compressed air, and subsequently withsaid air pressure device; said valve comprising a non-rotatable disk anda rotatable disk moving with said carrier, each of said disks havingports periodically brought into registry with each other.

19. A can tester of the character described including, in combination: acarrier having a plurality of can holding and clamping means thereon; anair pressure indicating device; a valve for placing the interiors ofcans clamped on said carrier, successively, first in communication witha source of compressed air and subsequently with said air pressureindicating device; an electric circuit having included therein a magnetand a switch, the latter being operated by the air pressure device; anda trip operated by said magnet, substantially as specified.

20. In an air pressure can testin machine, an air pressure indicatingdevlce including a chamber havin a sensitive and movable diaphragmtherem arranged close to one of the ends of the chamber and dividingsaid chamber into two compartments of unequal volume, and closed to theatmosphere the compartment of smaller volume being adapted to be placedin communication with the interiors of sealed cans and a the compartmentof greater volume being in as specified.

21. A can testingmachine including, in

combination: a carrier having a plurality.

of can sealing and clamping vices thereon; displacement bodies carriedby said carrier, one for each of said sealing and clamping devices, andadapted to occupy positions within the-cans when the latter are clampedand sealed; an air pressure indicating device having a chamber providedwith a flexible diaphragm therein, the diaphragm being so located thatit divides the chamber into two compartments of unequal volume; a tripdevice governed by movements of said diaphragm; and a valve for placingthe interiors of clamped and sealed cans. on said carrier, successively,first in communication with a source of compressed air and then incommunication with the smaller compartgiept of said chamber,substantially as speci- 22. In an air pressure can testing machine, adevice operating by air pressure to select the leaky cans, the saiddevice including a chamber having a sensitive and movable fiaimragmtherein arranged close to eratedby the movement of the diaphragm w forselecting the destination cans.

of the leaky 1 EDWIN v. SWANGREN.

MAGNUS E. WIDELL.

Witnesses:

PEARL ABRAMs, ESTHER ABRAMS.

